Straits Times: President Tan honoured for research efforts

LINDAU (Germany) - For many years, President Tony Tan Keng Yam has been actively involved in Singapore's education and research fields, either through his role as Education Minister or as founding chairman of the National Research Foundation.

Yesterday, for his efforts to promote Singapore as a global research hub, Dr Tan was inducted into a select group of individuals who have contributed greatly to the scientific and research world.

He is one of two individuals, the other being Professor Ferdinand K. K. Piech, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Group, who became part of the Honorary Senate of the Foundation Lindau Nobelprizewinners Meetings.

The Honorary Senate brings in key individuals from science, politics and business and its list of members includes Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Senate advises the Lindau Foundation on the Nobel Laureate meetings.

Dr Tan is the first Singaporean and only the second Asian to be inducted to the Senate, after Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 2010.

The annual Lindau meetings are a forum for the Who's Who of the research world to meet, discuss and inspire younger scientists in their respective research field.

Yesterday, chairman of the Lindau Foundation Wolfgang Schurer said that Dr Tan has been 'a quiet but tireless force in the rise of the Republic as a global hub of science and education in Asia'.

'He has been the spiritus rector of the four national universities of Singapore and spearheaded many strategic initiatives for research and education... Dr Tony Tan serves as a role model far beyond Singapore,' said Dr Schurer.

In accepting the invitation to be part of the Senate, Dr Tan said he was honoured to be part of it. He told scientists and researchers at the opening of the Lindau meetings that the future of research lies in international and multi-disciplinary collaborations, given the increasing complexity of global problems such as depleting energy sources and emerging infectious diseases.

Dr Tan said: 'To effectively address these challenges, scientific communities and academia must work together with one another and with industries and governments through partnerships spanning across countries and disciplines.'

To this end, Singapore actively pursued links with leading universities and academic institutions to bring together the brightest minds from all over the world to work with Singapore's scientific community to carry out their research, he said.

This year, the 62nd Lindau meetings will focus on the key theme of physics, in areas such as particle physics and quantum technology.

Singapore will be hosting the conference's International Day, during which the Republic will have a chance to showcase the country's research and development efforts. Eight young Singaporean scientists are also at the conference to meet and learn from some of the best minds in physics.

aaronl@sph.com.sg